187 thoughts on “Miami at Pitt Basketball Open Game Thread”

  2. Good news, Phil say early spring. Whoo hoo!

    BRING IT ON HOME FRAN! ………..turn this one up…… real loud!

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      1. Jeffries is from Conner’s HS –

        Capel needs to close the deal on this recruit – he has NBA written all over him and he is a smart young man.

        EE

        Liked by 2 people

  5. The current play of X and McGowen is worrisome at this point in the season. Still no one to consistently shoot threes. Hopefully they can pull this one out.

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  6. Pitt hasn’t had anyone consistently shoot 3’s in a while, hope Champ can get a few

    was Lamar the best? seemed Gibbs had a reputation but didn’t quite do it when really needed although he was very good

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  9. Not a big game thread contributor but I ask, who ain’t happy with that first half?

    Defense looks impressive. Kind of like #31 Ezeakudo, looks confident out there. Adds a little depth.

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    1. Two things I’d lyke adjusted in the 2nd half-

      -1. More aggressive play by Ham and Brown
      -2. Less shots by X

      EE

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  10. I’m here with my son. We got to see Fran, Wolfe and Scooter!

    Many wasted trips down the floor today, but defense looking pretty good to me.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  13. The difference right now is miami has an offensive flow and Pitt does not.

    Good use of a time out

    EE

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  14. I only care about wins. But watching X and McGowens has become terribly painful. Poor shot selection, limited range on their jumpers, poor distribution to their teammates. And they aren’t improving.

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  16. My finishing line-up would be Toney, Champ, Brown, X or Trey but not both on the court together and one other to find a hot hand.

    No 3 point shooting success today except Trey

    EE

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    1. I guess Capel and I don’t see eye to eye on the finishing line-is.

      It’s his to lose a winnable game.

      Tough to watch…

      EE

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  17. All I’m hearing is about how short handed Miami is. When a Pitt guy is out you never hear about it.

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  19. Murph doesn’t make the. careless mistakes that Trey and X do. But he’s limited in other ways. We suck against the zone by the way.

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  23. We had em all the way…

    If Jeffries can’t see an instant fit for his next step on the way to the NBA with this game then he was watching the cheerleaders and dance team.

    EE

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  24. and with this Pitt win, the week finishes as a D grade. that would be a failing grade for any school with the exception of WVCC.

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  25. and with this Pitt win, the week finishes as a D grade. that would be a failing grade for any school with the exception of WVCC.

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  27. Five ACC wins most in four years. Extremely poor shooting and defensive lapses but we still get the much needed win. Any win is a good win for this team. Plus we hardly ever beat Miami, X and Trey came through to finish this one, no style points but clutch when it mattered most.

    Winning when you don’t have your A game is a real plus for this team.

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  28. if memory serves … a year ago, both MacGowens and Johnson missed one-and-one chances in the final 20 seconds of games that Pitt ultimately lost. So there’s that

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  29. heard on radio in 1st half …

    Hillgrove: Sam Young had the best up-fake in college basketball

    Akins: yes, he’d get me every time, and I was sitting in this chair right next to you

    Liked by 3 people

  30. Yes, the guards were looking to penetrate and dish the ball. Good win but the dish receivers didn’t hold up their end of the bargain, that’s why X-man an Trey had to take over. This one is a jab in the ribs to JoeK, PITT could have used Skippy today. 🙂

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  31. I can’t tell you how valuable a close win like today is to the overall Pitt Basketball learning process.
    Capel and his staff were magnificent with their use of time outs and set plays late in the game. H2P

    Only coaching staff better today was the Pens. What a win

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  32. We had some good looks from inside the zone, but missed the shots. Looked to me like the shooters hurried the shots when they didn’t need to. They are releasing the ball as they turnaround instead in squaring up and shooting.

    But having a 7-footer inside a zone is a tough match-up for Pitt right now.

    Hats off to Trey for his scoring in the second half. And our PG sub did okay while he was in there…

    Go Pitt.

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  33. I must say that X’s stroke from beyond the arc is just horrible. At this stage if his career it is probably unchangable, and he never going to be a good 3 pt shooter.

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  34. btw, thought defense was consistently good today with Miami making some good plays and very few open looks. I think JC had Brown sit more so Pitt’s far more active and athletic lineup with Toney and others defend and create turnovers. I like that adjustment.

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  35. Agreed, tvax1, but I think Toney played 40 minutes which is too much. They need to slide Champ over and find someone to give a few productive minutes at the 4 spot.

    Liked by 1 person

  36. Gee, Ike, they win and you say they needed Skippy. Thought that was the never Narduzzis line. Imagine if they lost.
    Skippy is what he is, a role player on a short benched team. He could have hit 5 threes, or he could have went 1-9, you never know. His role going forward will be to give Toney a break, or sub in for Trey or X. That’s what he is, and there is nothing wrong with that. They need all the players they have.

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    1. Jus kidding JoeK………. I thought I made that clear. Although for the first time it looked like Capel broke through the guards heads to drive and dump off to a wide open player on the perimeter. << It’s called zone busting but PITT didn’t make the open shots. Here’s the thing, PITT beat a very mediocre BB team without their top two scorer’s playing. Not a major accomplishment.

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  38. BTW, in spite of his form, X-Man is shooting 34% from 3. Not great, but not awful.

    Skippy is about 36% and Trey is at 30%…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  40. No way X-Man is getting that shot off in the NBA. Skippy is way too slow for the NBA, McGowens is a possibility though. He’s athletic with has more length and plays great defense. If PITT is going to rely on Toney’s outside shooting …. well then good luck to them. It’s going to take a team-wide concerted effort to make it to the NIT. I couldn’t care less if Skippy is involved or not. I just feel like he is JoeK’s pet-peeve.

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  42. It looked like Champs shot was a bit flat today. It seems like this team plays to its competition. I knew when they went to the zone it would be a problem. Without Murphy there is no outside threat. His role is a sixth or seventh man when on can cause the zone to expand. They were packing it in the whole 2nd half.

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  44. Agreed JP on all counts.. Skippy must have got bumped on that bald head of his and it caused a concussion.

    It hard to be into this kind of halftime music.

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  45. Another fun and exciting game today. We have some really good players on this team. We were down by two with 2 and 1/2 minutes to go and X carries us to the win. I think back to how many different players have been the player of the game for us this year. X, Trey, Champ, Au’Diese. Even Ryan and Terrell have had major contributions in certain games. And they all should be back next year, with reinforcements to boot. If we can keep Coach Capel, we will be back much faster than I would have imagined.

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  46. Great points Wolfe, not the greatest game but the PITT players show such a resilience. Show that they are tuff.

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  47. Farmers — that fast-break bucket by X-Man, where he went behind his back, was spectacular.

    While they’re not ideal guards, easy to forget what amazing athletes both X and Trey are.

    (And, BTW, I couldn’t hear Scooter across the court in Section 120. Please tell Scooter he needs to amp up those cheers. 😊)

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  48. Murphy’s limitations are obvious. He has a decent 3 pt shot but that is it. They need to recruit a good 2 guard that can shoot the 3. Maybe the transfer who is sitting out this season will help next year.

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    1. If you can find a video of Coach Capel’s show when he had Horton on, you might be excited for Horton.

      Or you might think it’s just “Coach-speak”…

      Coach said that Horton is actually better than he thought he would be. Said he has “pop.” Not sure what that means, but I like it.

      Coach also said that Horton has helped the team this season by simulating the play of our opponents best guard in practices. But here’s the best part, Coach said he tells the players that, in the games, they might play against someone as good as Horton, but they won’t play against anyone better…

      That’s pretty high praise in my book…but, okay, as Reed would say, it’s “Coach-speak”…

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  51. I saw the interview and was also impressed. I think he shot over 40 percent from 3 at Del. Last year. With him and Hugly they should be a tournament team. Jeffries would also be a great addition. That should give them enough depth that no one should have to play 40 minutes.

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  54. With Horton and Hugley joining the rotation next season we fans should be expecting an NCAA bid. Now that’s assuming nobody makes a bad decision and leaves for the NBA, which I don’t think will happen.

    If Jeffress is added to the mix that will be even more depth. I hope Champagnie doesn’t have a sophomore slump and plays even better than he has a freshman to make Pitt even tougher.

    If for some reason Jeffress comes to Pitt and there happens to be a scholarship open, Pitt will look more appealing to graduate transfers. Does Capel get a backup point guard, shooter or a ready-made physical post player?

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  56. That was a tough game to watch. Toney was just a little off. Champs did a fantastic job on the boards but struggled otherwise. Brown is just so frustrating to watch. I thought Coulibaly might have had more minutes given his strong performance and the energy he supplied against Duke. X and McGowens are maddening. I keep thinking about the off season: what did they work on?! At least X has started to show the pull up, but that low-release jumper is silly. And McGowens is just drive right, no hesitation, no pump fakes to get the defender off balance, still has the jinky jump shot with his body bowed forward and the slow release and the ridiculous arc. Both made big plays down the stretch and I’ll take it. But if they play better earlier in the game, there’s no need to even be in that position.

    Also, I hate to call the Zoo out, but they were absolutely pathetic. No energy after the first few minutes. Empty seats behind the hoops. More interest in dancing during the breaks than cheering and being loud during the run of play. It was sad. Not a good showing with a big-time recruit in the house.

    Win is a win, and they did show some much better resilience and calm in those last 4 minutes. Hoping down the stretch here they can link together some strong performances and at least make the NCAA have to think, even if if for a nanosecond, about a bid.

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  57. I must say I agree that there was really nothing enticing about this game for the recruits attending for them to commit to Pitt. It’s not very enjoyable to watch and probably more so to play in.

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  58. Wow — couple of tough takes on this BB game.

    If you guys think this Miami game was such a downer for BB recruits, what about the FB recruits who come to a game at Heinz??

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  59. I don’t agree, I think Capel’s style is much more enticing than Jamie’s ever was. Easy to see how you would fit if you have skills.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Capel values athletes. Jamie was brutish slog ball. Effective in the big east but boring. Plus I think Capel is actually better at defensive tactics. He’s a good fit for ACC play and is finding players that will fit and excel in their roles. Dixon’s time had passed. Pitt basketball is in a good place now…positioned to excel.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. I agree with that. It probably varies a lot by recruit. For some, the atmosphere and the opportunity to always play in front of big crowds may be a deciding factor, while for others it may be how they feel about the coach and being able to visualize how they would fit into the system (and perhaps bring the crowds back). But for a 17-year-old kid getting courted by big programs, I’m sure a low-energy environment can create certain impressions. A noon game on Super Bowl Sunday didn’t help, for sure.

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      1. PITT also competed with Phil and the town of Punxsy to the north…never underestimate how GHD can take a bite out of the Pete attendance.

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  60. If Pitt had a true PG(quarterback) to run the show every game they would be so much more organized than what fans are asked to witness each game. The disorganization on the offensive end makes the game a tough watch.

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  63. I wonder if Duke fans are pissed a Clemson QB and the Stanford O-lineman that Pitt was pursuing are continuing their football careers under Cutcliffe? Some Pitt fans loathe grad transfers, but I’m sure all Duke fans are loving these two new additions.

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  64. Yep, IMO that OL grad transfer from Stanford will end up being a big loss for Pitt. He was a priority get in my book.

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  65. Yes, I was hoping to get Hamilton, I thought he could help the team. He’s a southern boy that signed with a southern team. Wish we knew the whole story if there is more to it than just that. Wouldn’t be surprised if plan B pops up real soon. Then again, maybe PITT doesn’t feel the urgency to bring in another 0-lineman? College teams these days have to think hard about keeping the players that are already on the team happy.

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  66. Too many gaps in the OL last season for me to believe Pitt has all the answers in house. It would be nice however to see another Morrissey step forward along with another O’Neil look alike moved to the tackle spot currently on the roster.

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    1. I don’t know jrn, would you call them gaps or the victims of youth? I see the concern for sure but I do think there are some decent talents waiting in the wings. That was the point of my comment about the whole story. Did PITT make Hamilton feel like a priority or was it more of a come in and tryout? As a side note, KP did throw for well over 3,000 yards. Seems to me that this Pickett running for his life era may be over??

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  67. Jason Collier could be our next O’Neill. His development at tackle this spring will be worth following.

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    1. Collier to another O’Neill strikes me as one large leap for mankind…

      I’m thinking Van Lynn will play one OT spot but the other spot sure is a mystery… Maybe Warren loses 20 pounds and gains a step?

      And ike, KP did throw for some yards, but as you know he also had too many plays where he ran out of the pocket — or what should have been the pocket— and threw the ball away. So we wasted lots of opportunities…

      Go Pitt.

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  69. Being an ex-tight end he should be able to move. The switch happened during the season so the coaches must have liked something.

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  72. I think the Stanford to Duke transfer was about academics. What woud you rather have on your resume’, Stanford and Duke or Stanford and Pitt. That is a “no brainer”. If Pitt cant recruit great offensive linemen, blame the recruiting, not the portal recruiting.

    Portals are good for a plug in, not a recruiting base. The portal is a great thing but the lifeblood of a program is recruiting. Has anyone actually looked at Pitt’s recruiting? We have very few 2 stars, yet many on here try to over emphasize ANY two star that pans out, like it is common place. Study the rival recruit page. Very few 2 stars on roster. Many low 3 stars. The more 4 stars you get, the better possibility for college success because the 4 stars have the physical attributes.

    When you get to the pros, all the 2, 3 and 4 stars are physically the same…..fast, strong and halfway smart. For those that look at statistics, there are way more two and three stars on nfl rosters because there are so few 5 stars and 4 stars, generally.

    Of the 6 teams in the coastal, Pitts winning percentage since joining the ACC in 2013 is between third and fourth. A juggernaut, nope. Mediocrity, yep. And again, that is not in the entire ACC. It is in the coastal only.

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  73. ^^ I pretty much agree with you here Huff. Question though, why is there such a disparity of the amount of 5, 4, 3 and 2* designated players? My biggest reason to NOT relate to star rankings along with the subjection nature of the whole process. You know, I like this service compared to that service. It all makes little sense to me.

    Now secondly and I feel I have looked up my fair share of information to share with the POV but not tonight, I’m a little tired this evening so this is an honest question. What is PITT’s record against the Atlantic division since joining the ACC? Thanks to you and I have agreed all along, PITT’s over-all record has been bogged down by a tough OOC schedule. Not sure if it’s their ACC record? Although I think PITT’s record in the ACC Coastal is above mediocrity?

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      1. There are a handful of wins against mediocre or worse Syracuse teams propping up that record, but I guess we’ll take ’em where we can get ’em.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Very true Jeff but chuck in a win against the eventual national champion as well. Yet no need to parse though, it is what it is I suppose.

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      2. 2019 – 4-4 ACC conference
        2018 – 6-2
        2017 – 3-5
        2016 – 5-3
        2015 – 6-2
        2014 – 4-4
        2013 – 3-5

        Since joining ACC seven years ago : 31-25. Average wins per year in ACC = 4.4 wins out of 8 games. Slightly more than 55%. Average, mediocre, medium. The coastal has always been the weaker of the two divisions.

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  74. Thanks Richard. The fact man strikes again and the truth comes out. Appreciate how you do not fudge statistics.

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  75. As we look at the 2020-2021 season, it appears right now that both BB and FB are on an upswing. I think BB has the better chance of fulfilling our expectations than FB. With FB, the potential for SOP is always there. Will the WRs disappoint? Will the OL fail to develop? There are just so many unknowns. Now Duke has a top flight QB. The other Coastal teams will also try to get better. I want to believe but there are just too many unknowns…

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  79. OK, someone help me understand basketball strategy. I forget what game it was. Maybe Duke. Maybe Miami. Whatever. Fairly late in the game. Their guy goes up to shoot foul shots. One and one. We have at least three guys there ready to get the rebound on a missed shot—and the other team has no one. Apparently, they are all back at the other end of the court ready to defend. And, this happened more than once. Why would a team do this?

    pmdH2P

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    1. To avoid a repeat from the Pitt-Butler game in 2011. Committing a bad foul 84 feet away from the basket. That game was tied, but my guess is the coach doesn’t want to give the other team possibly two free points in a close game with his guy fouling trying to rebound a miss.

      Liked by 1 person

  82. there are now two Pat Signals …. so maybe it’s the kicker and the CB. We’ll likely know tomorrow

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  83. One need only remember a Pitt game not too many years ago (i wanna say nasir robinson), who picked up a foul trying to get a rebound where one was not needed and he fouled. They hit free throws. Pitt lost. Ike hit it correctly. It’s seems quite basic that these kids would know not to foul, but most lack the basic training. Great athletes. Not great fundamentals of the game.

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    1. and that Butler team went all the way to the title game. I always thought that year was Pitt’s best chance

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      1. Agreed! That team had great chemistry. I think it may have been 2011 and Gilbert Brown, not Nasir Robinson committed a foul going for a missed free throw. Pitt was leading by one, we missed a free throw with a couple seconds left. Gilbert Brown fouled a Butler player, who drained both and Pitt lost by 1.

        Probably aged Dan at least a month….it was so unnecessary! Fundamentals. Time, place and circumstance. I think Jamie was the coach and he just farted that one away for the team. Gotta communicate to your players. Time place and circumstance always!

        IF Pitt can go 5-4 the rest of the way (which is doable) and win at least one tourney game…they might make the dance. That was a big IF. What I have seen lately shows they won’t because they are inconsistent, but 5 and 4 is…inconsistent, so they might! It would be great if they could post some wins against a relative easy closing schedule.

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    2. Hated the way Dixon managed the last minute of the game.
      Frustrating to watch him attempt to milk the clock with 45 seconds to go with a small lead.
      Should’ve gone for points or draw a foul.

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  84. BTW, forget about LOI Singing Day II tomorrow …. Dave Wannstedt is making his acting debut on Chicago Fire tomorrow night (not kidding!)

    Liked by 1 person

  85. Huff the Third. I remember Robinson’s blunder-ous foul. As bad or worse than Porter not fouling Goheen.

    About your stats. I wasn’t lumping Lumpy’s contribution into the equation. Since Narduzzi took over PITT is 24-16 in the ACC. That could be considered slightly above average? But maybe not?

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  86. Hope to see some of yinz POVerts at the LOI event tomorrow.
    Some current players will be available for photos per the press release. They usually ask to have their pictures taken with Scooter.

    Liked by 2 people

  88. Would love a Pat Signal on an O-Lineman…hope the boys in the trench are in the weight-room turinng those bodies into men…get the flubber off those guys…especially you know who…big, strong and slow will lose most of the battles to strong,quick and not so big-just ask Aaron D….

    I

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  89. Well B, we will find out soon enough. The POV have a few undercover special agents attending the LOI tomorrow. At this point I’m not expecting a o-lineman though. I’m thinking Sauls, the left footed kicker, strong leg. and Rashad Battle, a big safety from Georgia. Sauls and Battle, sounds like a Law Firm.

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  91. Thankfully ‘Better Call Saul’ season 4 is coming to Netflix this Sunday. Season 3 feels like it was five years ago.

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    1. It’s being announced as retiring. But he may have been incentivized to do so. What’s interesting IMO is that it’s being announced one day before the second signing day for 2020 recruits. It does suggest that perhaps the AD may not have been too happy with the MSU recruiting for this year.

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  95. The Dantonio retirement news news should liven up this board over the next couple of days. At least that is until a successor is named at MSU.—-I’m assuming TX has already submitted Narduzzi name to fill that opening.

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  97. Narduzzi will use this as leverage to get another extension out of heather.

    Michigan state will not be receiving a letter of recommendation from me.

    But I’d be fine if both heather and Narduzzi eloped to Michigan state.

    I have a list of replacement AD’s as well. Gallagher – you have my number.

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  98. I highly doubt that Narduzzi would leave with the team he has coming back. Question is, is this good or bad? If he wants to leave I would say goodbye but you’re not taking any assistants with you. It would make any transition much smoother.

    Secondly, the speculation that Narduzzi would leave for MSU will be the end of the story. He either goes or stays. If he stays, which I would not be one bit surprised, he would be like the bird you set free and comes back and he will be PITT’s for life. HELLO TEX. Interesting development.

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  99. Dantonio also is being investigated for NCAA violations. No way will Duzz be a candidate; MSU will distant itself from his associates. Fickell would seem as the ideal candidate if he wants it. Younger, successful, Midwest/B1G ties

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  100. Thirdly, I would welcome back Wanny with open arms. As long as he wouldn’t have to rebuild his coaching staff. We can dream I guess. Never was completely married to Narduzzi (against everyone’s opinion of me) but he ain’t going anywhere, imo.

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  101. Make Wanny head coach and Chief Recruiter but don’t let on the side lines on game days. Put him up in the booth and never let him make any game day decisions.

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  103. On Monday Night Lawyers for Curtis Blackwell detailed violations Dantonio committed it’s being reported by the Detroit newspaper. Hours later Dantanio retired, Hmm!!

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  104. I agree with wwb that MSU would likely stay away from Duzz if Dantonio is gone under tainted circumstances. Fickel would likely get the first call, and that is who would call first if Duzz were moving. Hopefully, Duzz stays out as I can’t imagine a worse time to be looking for a coach.

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  106. Not sold on Fickell. Didn’t he head coach for a year at OSU and not exactly light it up?

    I guess he could recruit Ohio…

    Go Pitt.

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  107. Thought he was a mid season replacement and did a serviceable job in the whirlwind following Tressel’s resignation. I like what he’s done at Cincinnati, John.

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  108. Pitt is going to face Cincy a couple of years hence. I hope Fickell takes the MSU job before we have to face him. He’s revitalized the Cincy program since he took over.

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  109. Coash Bates just hired Nick Arleo as a defensive analyst. The interesting thing about this is that he was a CB / defensive assistant at Maimi OH the last 2 years, whom Pitt opens with

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    1. No problem in finding a head coach if you put up enough money on the table when the salary discussion comes up.

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  113. Why would a perennial power in the Big 10 want to hire a bum of a head coach like Narduzzi? << The guy is rude to the media, closes practices and has a mediocre record in the ACC. PITT would be lucky to get rid of this loser. While they are at it, they should rid themselves of Heather as well. Seems like she’s driving all PITT athletics into the ground. You know, since PITT has devoted all this money and effort over the past 40 years for developing great sports programs. Let’s start over from scratch.

    Liked by 2 people

  114. Peculiar timing by Mich State.
    Just a strange time of the cycle to be looking for a head coach…

    Will be interesting to see who they come up with. Be nice if they poached somebody good from one of our opponents in the Coastal…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  115. MSU is a disaster right now with looming investigation and possible lawsuits.

    Pretty sure Duzz just stays put but you never know.

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  116. ^^ Correct, money talks but coaching a team under sanctions ruins a coaches career. and I don’t want to hear about state penn either, what sanctions?

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  118. I have never been accused of being a Narduzzi supporter but this would be a very bad time for him to leave. He has a great defense coming back next year and hopefully an improved offense. Next year should be his best year at Pitt. If he is serious about moving up the coaching ranks, next year would be the year to do it. That assumes of course he doesn’t screw the whole thing up:)

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  119. If Narduzzi leaves (he won’t) I say good riddance to him. When does a man ask himself, what does it take to live a good and stable life and just be happy with what you got?

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  120. The Croce Jazz Bar in the Gas Light Section of SD is a good visit. Bring back the good old days, reopen the Decade.
    Nard is not going anywhere.

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  121. He’s not going anywhere. I can’t see him being high on the MSU list. UNLESS, MSU views it to be impossible to win at Pitt, thus leading them to believe that he’s done a great job here. Then again, like him or hate him, Duzz has done more with the program than Paul Chryst, who was hired at Wisky after going 6-6 at Pitt several times. And unless it’s about money (which to Duzz’ credit, I don’t think it is), I dont see Duzz being heavily attracted to MSU in its current state of turmoil.To me, I just don’t see it being a good fit at the moment. Then again, if they throw 5 or 6 million a year at him, he’s gone.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Well we all know Badger Paul was destined for the Whisky job EVEN before taking the Pitt job. So sayeth Lord Alvarez. Pitt was just used for ‘on the job’ training.

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  122. On the other hand, been a while since we had a search for a coach at Pitt. While stability is nice, I’ve always enjoyed all the speculation and consternation over a coaching search (with a few notable exceptions, of course…😊).

    And I hear that Tex has that list…👍. We’re ready to pounce!

    Go Pitt.

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  123. NoDoz has a chance, to put Pitt in good stead in the National Limelight. If he comes out and makes a statement, saying we’re building something special here at Pitt and I have no interest in the Michigan State job. After all Pitt did give this career Assistant his first ever HC gig, after he was passed over more than a couple times by other schools. And Pitt is paying him good money for 8 win seasons.

    Or he can make us look like a 2nd rate program. We shall see

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  125. If NoDoz leaves, does this mean, Toilet Paper becomes HC. Did Pitt have a hunch Doz was leaving, given the rumors at MSU and have a HC in waiting on the staff ? If we end up with TP as HC, that would be sh*tty.

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  127. Partridge would be interesting coach I figure. I just hope heather isn’t stupid enough to extend his contract and pay him more. He’s fairly compensated given his performance. He hasn’t earned being over valued and compensated above market. 40th highest comp for top 40-60 results is more than fair.

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  128. Partridge as interim and interesting. I’d pay partridge $3 million for one year. Narduzzi can walk. But I figure it will take $5 million for him to do it. But he’s most likely using this as an opportunity to get more money. I hope heather doesn’t fall for it.

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  129. Reasons Coaches choose to leave:
    1) They are underpaid relative to market
    HCPN – he is paid in line with other coaches at comparable schools with similar records
    2) They lack institutional support for a winning football program
    HCPN – Perhaps a legitimate point 6 years ago, but not now.
    3) They are about to get slammed by the NCAA for violations
    HCPN – really doubtful under Heather’s tight reign of compliance (much to the disdain of the just win baby crowd)
    4) They are about to get fired by their AD
    HCPN – AD loves him and they looked like a couple in the video made following his contract extension. A love fest.
    5) They’ve been successful at their program and want a bigger challenge.
    HCPN – Say what you will about him, but he knows he hasn’t reached the level he should yet.
    6) Their wife has relatives in a suitor’s location.
    HCPN – they played that card already when moving to Pgh
    7) FOMO
    HCPN – hasn’t shown that in his career. Far from it.
    8) Tex has offered an attractive relocation package and he gets to keep his AD.
    HCPN – hmmmm, well there might be something there.

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  130. Tx, we don’t know what is going to go on with the MSU job search but I don’t see how you can say Narduzzi is using this as a leverage for a pay raise just yes? Like I mentioned before, I would also let him go(he isn’t) just keep the entire coaching staff together for next year.

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  132. Michigan State was competitive when Michigan was down.

    Pitt’s dilemma has always been the same. Waiting for our coach to fail or get poached for more money.

    We are going to learn a lot about where we stand as a program either way.

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  134. As long as we don’t hire Mike Locksley as HC I’ll be happy. How on Earth did this guy get rehired by Maryland. Besides being involved in some serious side issues including hiring young girls as recruiting assistants and punching asst coaches, this guy has somehow been able to get hired with a 6 wins and 40 loss HC record. Mike Haywood in overdrive.

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  135. Got an e-mail about the LOI event tomorrow night. One item mentioned was that Coach Narduzzi will take a couple of questions. I was surprised to see that.

    Back in the day, Walt used to take questions at the end of the event. When Wanny came in, he stopped that practice.

    More incremental improvement from our Coach?

    (What questions would POVers want Scooter to ask? 😊)

    Go Pitt.

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